198 On the Cultivation of the Ranunculus. 
Nothing- raoi-e need be done to them till they begin to appear abo\'e 
the soil. When the leaves are all above ground, choose a diy day and 
press the soil firmly about the roots, as the leaves generally remove 
the soil from the crowai of the roots, and if the weather proves dry, 
exposure very much injures them. In diy weather, they will require 
watering; and if the bed is made in an inclosed garden, or open to 
the south, after the 1st of May they will require a little shading, other- 
wise the leaves turn yellow, and the plants come to perfection without 
producing flowers. 
In shading, care should be taken to have the mats one or two feet 
from the ground, so that a cunent of air may pass underneath, in order 
to prevent the stems being weakened and unaljle to support the flowers. 
In a garden quite exposed, no shading is required. If, when the plants 
are in flower, the bed be covered, \vithout much confinement, the roots 
increase in sti'ength from year to year, and the flowers consequently 
become larger and more beautiful, than when exposed. 
When the herbage is nearly disappearing, it will be necessary to re- 
move the roots from the bed. I have a tray divided into compartments, 
sufiicient to hold the four roots, with their increase ; and as they are 
taken from the bed, they are picked clean, and put one sort in each of 
the compartments, each sort corresponding to a list. When the roots 
are all taken up, the tray is removed to the stand, in an airy chamber 
but not exposed to the sun ; and the first leisure time I have, I sepa- 
rate the offsets from the sorts; and from the stock, select four good 
roots of each sort, for next year's planting. 
The bed should now be carefully turned over, and the dung that 
was put at the bottom, mixed with the loam, and some ornamental 
flowers, as the Dahlia, might be planted on it. In October, eight 
inches of one-year-old cow-dung should be placed at the bottom, and 
the soil ridged up for the next year. If these rules are attended to, 
from year to year, the roots will improve in size, and the flowers in 
colour. 
When seed can be procured from good double flowers, it should he 
sown in boxes or pans, in September, and removed under glass in 
November. 
I have added a plan of the stand I keep the roots in, [fig. 22] which 
being quite exposed to the air, on all sides, requires no care after the 
roots are removed from the soil. 
I subscribe myself. Gentlemen, 
Yours, &c. 
An Admirer of the Ranunculus. 
